Payment options

There are multiple payment options including eCheck, credit card, international wire payment, and certain 529 plans depending on your plan adminstrator.

There's no service fee with eCheck payments from a personal checking or savings account. You’ll need your bank’s ACH routing number (often the left-most number on your check) and your account number. Do not use numbers from your debit card. For assistance, contact your bank.

SMU accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and VISA. A non-refundable service charge fee will be added for each transaction. The non-refundable service charge fee is 2.85 percent for US based credit/debit card payments and 3.95 percent service fee per transaction for international non-US card payments.  

Yes, SMU partners with Flywire to provide secure international payment options. You can initiate these through your my.SMU portal or Authorized User account.

Yes, SMU partners with Flywire to provide secure domestic wire payment options. You can initiate through Flywire. 

If you are requesting a payment from a 529 college savings plan, trust, or other financial institution, you can generally initiate the payment directly through your financial institution.

When requesting the payment, select Southern Methodist University (SMU) as the recipient and follow your financial institution's instructions.

* For information on CollegeWell Private College 529 Plan, click here.

What payment methods are available?

Payment options depend on your financial institution.

• SMUpay, powered by Flywire: If your financial institution partners with Flywire, you may be able to select Flywire to send the payment electronically to SMU.
• Paper check: If your financial institution does not partner with Flywire, you may request that a check be issued and mailed directly to SMU.

Where should my financial institution mail a paper check?

Please instruct your financial institution to mail the payment to:

Southern Methodist University

Student Account Services
P.O. Box 750181
Dallas, TX 75275-0181

To ensure the payment is applied to the correct student account, request that the following information be included with the check or accompanying payment documentation:

• Student's full name
• SMU student ID number

How long will it take for my payment to appear on my student account?

Processing times vary depending on the financial institution and payment method. Allow sufficient time for your financial institution to issue and deliver the payment and for SMU to process it.

What if my payment has been sent but is not showing on my student account?

First, contact your financial institution to confirm when and how the payment was sent.

If the payment has been issued but is not reflected on your student account, contact the Mane Desk for assistance. Be prepared to provide the student's name, SMU ID number, payment amount, date issued, and payment method.

529 Plan Payments – Frequently Asked Questions

How are 529 plan payments applied to my student account?

529 plan payments are applied to eligible educational charges on the student account. Depending on the student's account, these may include tuition, eligible fees, and other qualified educational expenses.

A 529 payment cannot necessarily be applied to every charge appearing on the student account. Certain charges may not be eligible for payment with 529 funds.

What charges can a 529 plan payment cover?

Generally, 529 funds may be used for qualified higher education expenses such as:

• Tuition and eligible required fees
• Required books, supplies, and equipment
• Room and board for students enrolled at least half-time, subject to applicable limits
• Certain other expenses permitted under federal 529 rules

Eligibility may depend on the nature of the expense and the student's circumstances.

Are all charges billed by SMU eligible for payment with 529 funds?

No. The fact that a charge appears on the SMU student account does not necessarily mean it is an eligible 529 expense.

SMU applies 529 payments only to charges designated as eligible for 529 payment. Charges that are not eligible must be paid using another payment method.

What happens if my 529 payment is more than the eligible charges on my account?

The 529 payment will first be applied to eligible charges on the student account.

If the amount received exceeds the eligible charges available for payment, the excess 529 funds cannot be applied to an ineligible charge simply because that charge remains outstanding. The excess amount may therefore result in a refund while an unpaid balance remains on the student account.

Why did I receive a refund when my student still has a balance?

This can happen when the remaining balance consists of charges that cannot be paid with the 529 funds received.

For example:

Eligible tuition and fees: $9,000
Other charges not eligible for 529 payment: $500
529 payment received: $9,500

SMU would apply $9,000 of the 529 payment to the eligible charges. The remaining $500 cannot be redirected to an ineligible charge solely because there is a balance on the account. As a result, $500 may be refunded and the $500 ineligible charge would remain due.

*** Receiving a refund does not necessarily mean the student's account is paid in full.

Can I ask SMU to apply the excess 529 funds to another charge instead of refunding them?

SMU cannot override the payment restrictions applicable to 529 funds simply to satisfy another charge on the student account. If the remaining charge is not eligible for payment with 529 funds, another form of payment will be required.

What should I do if part of my 529 payment is refunded?

Review the student's account to determine which charges remain unpaid. Those charges may need to be paid using a personal payment or another eligible source of funds.

If you believe a charge should be eligible for 529 payment, contact the Mane Desk for assistance. Questions regarding whether a particular expense qualifies under your individual 529 plan or your personal tax circumstances should be directed to your 529 plan administrator or tax adviser.

How can I avoid requesting more from my 529 plan than can be applied?

Before requesting a 529 distribution, review the student's current account balance and the types of charges included in that balance. Do not assume that the total account balance represents the amount that can be paid using 529 funds.

• Savings Accounts: Contact your financial institution to confirm the correct routing number, as deposit slips may not include it.
• Brokerage/Investment Accounts: Not all brokerage accounts support online payments. Verify with your account representative to confirm compatibility.
• Credit Card Accounts (Convenience or Credit Advance Checks): These accounts may not support electronic transactions. Contact your financial institution to see if ACH transactions are allowed.

If a check or electronic check payment is returned due to insufficient funds, a closed account, an invalid account number, or other issues, the payment amount and a $30 returned check fee will be charged back to your student account, and you will receive an email notification. A hold will be placed on your student account until a new payment and the $30 fee are submitted. This fee applies to each returned check, regardless of the amount. If there is a history of returned checks, the university may also suspend your check payment privileges.

A $30 chargeback fee will be applied to your student account.

Check that your web browser’s pop-up blocker is turned off, as this may affect SMUpay’s functionality. SMUpay requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or newer, Mozilla Firefox 17 or newer, or Google Chrome 24 or newer, with JavaScript, Cookies, and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) enabled.

Log in to my.SMU, select the "Student Dashboard" tile, click "Financials" on the left-hand side menu tab, then click "SMUpay". From there, select "Make A Payment" or click the Account Activity tab at the top to view a breakdown of the charges.

Log in to my.SMU, select "Employee Self Service," click on the "Financial Account" tile, choose a term, select an amount, and then click on "SMUpay." From there, select "Make A Payment" or click the Account Activity tab at the top to view a breakdown of the charges.

Log into my.SMU and find the “Release of Education Records” link. From there, you can grant access to select contacts.

Once a student grants access to a parent, the parent will receive instructions on how to access my.SMU with their own credentials.

At SMU, a student may choose to release all of their education records, restrict access to specified areas, or specifically deny access to a third party.

Students can add a parent(s) as an authorized user through my.SMU, or the parent can request access from the student, by following these instructions.

Once the parent is added as an authorized user, the parent will receive instructions on how to access SMUpay using their own credentials.

Submit this form with a valid photo ID to the DES ManeDesk located in the Blanton Student Services Building. You can do so in person or by mail to the SMU University Registrar’s Office, P.O. Box 750181, Dallas, TX 75275-0181.

A separate release form must be filled for each individual request.

If you’re requesting a letter of recommendation or professional reference with personally identifiable information, like grades or GPA, you must provide faculty with written authorization. Use this form as reference.